1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical receptacle having a plurality of opposed contact portions where some of the adjacent contacts are self shunted.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
It is known in high density bus connectors to short elected adjacent contacts. One of the known connectors is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,362 and includes an inverted V-shaped spring which extends in through an upper passage to be positioned adjacent to side edges of the receptacle contacts. The V-shaped spring contact has two legs, each of which extend into adjacent terminal passageways and are spring loaded against a terminal in the passageway when in the unmated position. Each of the legs of the V-shaped spring include a plastic "button" which extends between the receptacle leaf contacts, such that upon insertion of the mating pin, the pin contacts the button and pushes the leaf contact away from the terminals.
One of the shortcomings of the known connector is that the cost of the connector is increased by this design. As the shunt spring is a discrete item, the spring must be manufactured from a spring material, and formed with the plastic buttons, thereby increasing the cost of the raw material. Furthermore, these shunt springs must be inserted between adjacent passages of contacts without damaging the receptacle contacts or the shunt spring.
Furthermore, the centerline spacing of such connectors is a set dimension, thus the side-to-side spacing between adjacent contacts is fixed, leaving little extra room for the shunt spring. For this reason the shunt spring tends to be formed from a thin stock material which can be easily inserted in the spacing between the adjacent contacts. With such a thin spring, the resiliency of the spring could be overcome to the point of being plastically deformed, and the spring could be in a non-contacting relation with the receptacle contacts even when in an unmated position.
Moreover, the design of the known connector is such that the shunting capability is dependent upon a small plastic button, which can wear, or the spring legs could bend, to the point where the pin is contacting the lower edge of the spring leg, even when the two connectors are freely mated together.
It is an object of the invention then to provide for an easily manufacturable, yet highly reliable design.
It is a further object of the invention to provide for an electrical connector where there are no discrete shunting springs.